Tall and carries himself accordingly. He never seems to be anything less than confident. Will never (if on duty) be found out of uniform. Grey before his years due to a huge amount of stress in earlier assignments. He holds the alternate dress of certain COs contemptable and feels that if his crew have to follow uniform directives then he will not be swanning around in more comfortable attire.

Personality and Traits

General Overview

Mr Gunning has shown exceptional flexibility in changing roles after a long period in Starfleet. His abilities in many different fields along with his leadership qualities mean that he is the perfect choice for the CO of any vessel. He is prone to bouts of aggression and due to a childhood trauma however, he informs me that he has taken up Vulcan meditation in order to control these tendencies.

His rise through Starfleet's ranks suggest an ambitious officer who will give his utmost to serve his crew at all times. Many of his previous commanding officers have cited Gunning as a confidant & also a voice of conscience.

His attitude to a potential new command has seen an odd change come over him. He seems almost like an excitable child at times. It is pleasing to see & I am reassured that his previous problems are now completely minimised.

[Abstract Ends]

Strengths and Weaknesses

Operates well under pressure.

Ambitious.

Truly cares about the welfare of his crew.

Will do everything in his power to uphold Federation values.

Is not afraid to get his hands dirty.

Weaknesses:

Often makes rash decisions.

Sarcastic.

Is unpredictable. May talk or fight way out of a situation.

Has a tendency to say the wrong thing to an aggressor

Ambitions

To repay Starfleet's faith in him by performing his duties as a Commanding Officer to the very best of his ability. Ultimately, he desires to move up the command chain and the ranks but he is apprehensive about ever becoming an Admiral, seeing them as out of touch with the real business of Starfleet.

Hobbies and Interests

Holonovels

Music (late 20th, early 21st Century)

Football (Soccer)

Collecting Vintage alcohol.

Languages

Federation Standard, Cardassian (Basic), Bajoran, Klingon (Basic)

Family

Father:

William Gunning (Age 68)

Mother:

Mary Gunning (Age 67)

Brothers:

Jonathan Gunning (KIA), Jordan Gunning (CT/SO - USS Iapetus)

History

Born Alexander Mark Gunning in Glasgow City on Earth the early years of Alexander's life are, naturally a haze of brightly coloured toys and basic auratory skills. However, when he started school it was clear that the young man had ability when it came to physical pursuits. His attitude to other elements of work was, however lacking. It was during this early period of his life that his parents divorced.

In Secondary School, before applying to Starfleet Academy he was active in many extra-curricular activities which included Football (Soccer) and entered many shooting competitions. He was noted for organising the entire school into walking out in protest regarding the disciplining of a student of another culture. This was where his tolerance for beings of every species was born. He is well known for being on good terms with many of the Romulan commanders he has met in his tour of duty.

When he reached the Academy his skill in the Tactical sciences were immediately evident & he took on extra classes with non-commisioned personnel who were receiving specialist training in operations and tactical systems. Alexander struggled with these extra responsibilities but made a concerted effort and passed all classes with honours.

Alex applied himself well and graduated the Academy with distinction. His family were all present at his graduation in 2365. This was the last time he saw his brother Johnny before he died at Wolf 359. Alex's services aboard the USS Farragut during the battle meant that the ship survived against the odds. Johnny was the Chief Tactical Officer aboard the USS Melbourne which was one of the first ships destroyed by the Borg in the engagement. It is not known whether or not Johnny was assimilated or killed in the engagement. On the few occasions that Alex has seen fit to talk about the experience, he has shown no interest in finding out the truth.

His father remarried shortly after his parents' divorce to an El-Aurian scientist. They had a son called Jordan who looked up to his half brother throughout his childhood and always secretly harboured a desire to follow in his footsteps. He currently serves aboard USS Iapetus. He is significantly younger than both Johnny & Alex and due to the nature of their postings, they rarely get time to see each other.

Alex served for three years as the Chief Tactical Officer aboard the USS Aries under (then) Captain Chingera. He was involved in an incident which led to several shuttlecraft being blown out of a depressurised shuttlebay for which he was held personally responsible. However, during a 'dressing down' from the Captain, Alex's suspicions were proved correct and the Admiral was forced to consider the fact that a glitch in the gravitational control functions on the flight deck were actually to blame for the incident. Gunning was cleared of any wrong-doing.

He put in for a transfer, being unable to work with Chingera and was transferred aboard USS Galaxy in 2372 where he served, with distinction for more than ten years. His original role as Chief Tactical Officer (Lieutenant) allowed him to develop a close relationship with a young Ensign fresh from the academy. One, Liarra Prim. He took her under his wing and made sure that her potential was realised as she had a talent for tactical manoeuvres which Alex was very impressed by.

Gunning's hard work and dedication to the crew of the Galaxy led to him being promoted several times. One of the most notable occasions being when he passed the 'bridge officer's exam' and was allowed the honour of serving as the vessel's Tactical officer and Second Officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

During this period the USS Galaxy was involved in the First Battle of Chin'toka. With the development of the Cardassian's orbital defence platforms, the fleet ran into an initial set of roadblocks which were overcome with the help of the Galaxy. Alex's understanding of tactical manoeuvres allowed him to draw a level of fire from the platforms while the Defiant used its deflector to destroy the power grid.

After the previous first officer of the USS Galaxy passed away in tragic circumstances, Gunning was the logical choice to take the First Officer's chair where he served his crewmates and the United Federation of Planets for five years. During this time he had a few run-ins with future crewmates, most notably with some who were present at during the Shinzon Incident. After this time he was offered the chance at command aboard an antiquated Excelsior Class vessel the USS Heath.

Gunning's vision was of a vessel which was respected not just for its power but also for the bravery, ingenuity and cunning of its crew. She was old but she held her own in many a scrape during his three year stint as Commanding Officer. It was a sad day when the Commander received orders that the Heath was to be decommissioned as part of a fleet refreshment program in 2386.

He was reassigned to the Antares Fleet Yards to await a new assignment. This assignment came aboard the newly commissioned Defiant class vessel USS Jackal. The launch was not without its issues but with the help of his hand-picked crew, they were able to launch just a little behind schedule.

While en route to Cestus III (Headquarters of Pegasus Fleet), the Jackal was re-routed to a Klingon Outpost which had been attacked by a Federation vessel. On discovering the Federation vessel, the Utica, Gunning and the crew discovered that some of the crew had been affected by a space-borne particle and had taken the Klingon scientists hostage in the hope of getting a cure. It eventually transpired that the crew had locked their counterparts up to protect them from the compound if it was to mutate and before they became feral.